Four Different Lanes
by Fezzes64
Summary: A Trainer, a Rock Star, an Artist, and a Hero, four very different people, but all with one common respect. They don't know each other at first, but with humming Muse, a pair of broken glasses and a crash, they all meet by accident. It isn't until the first Track meet that they realise just how much they not only united the team, but their own love, too. GerIta, UsUk, Track AU
1. The Four

**_Once upon a time, there were four boys; a Trainer, a Rock Star, an Artist, and a Hero. These four young boys met by chance, and it changed their lives forever. Not all at once, mind you. But they quickly became the best of friends, starting High School at the same place. It seemed a miracle. However, in reality, it was simply love. One home united these four, one place in which they shared a common respect. This was the Track, even if not all of them know it yet._**

"One more...One more...One more…" a weary, determined voice chanted over and over again. He could feel the burn in his hamstrings, the lactic acids flow through his muscles, and it hurt with every single rep. His mantra was slowly weakening, his voice becoming airy and strained. With every lift he gritted his teeth and glared at the wall, searing electric blue eyes churning with the silent agony.

"O-one...mo-ore- AGH!" he suddenly snapped as his hamstrings gave, and he was forced to lean forward so sharply he winced in pain. He panted for breath, bracing his hands on either side of the machine and leaning back to rest his head. He sat there for a moment, expression twisted with pain as the cramps began. "I went too far…" he mumbled, frowning with dulled irritation.

Groaning in pain, he managed to slide off of the machine, carefully stretching his over-worked muscles and looking around the gym. Brushing his fingers through slightly damp blonde hair, he limped over towards the next machine over, just as his older brother walked out to turn on the lights.

"You alright there, Luds?" the silver-haired albino called curiously, turning towards him as he nearly tripped over his own feet trying to get to the next row. "We're opening in a few minutes, and it's your turn to teach the X-Group class."

"I did it again…" Ludwig seethed as his legs sent a jolt of pain down his quads and calves. "I did too much…" his muscles suddenly betrayed him and he had to rest his full weight in his arms, eyes widening in panic.

"Luds!" Gilbert rushed over to help his little brother, taking his fall and supporting him so he could stand. "Luds, calm down, it's okay, it's okay..." he gently let his sibling to the floor and pulled his hands behind his head so his breathing wasn't compressed, and then inclined Ludwig's right leg by the heel of his shoe just slightly. "I'm going to stretch your leg out, alright? Let me know when it hurts." He then proceeded to try to loosen the tension in his nearly injured brother, gradually lifting higher and higher until Ludwig hissed and moaned softly in protest.

"Th-that's fine right there, G-Gilbert..." he choked out, gritting his teeth and begging with just his expression to make it stop.

"Alright, Luds, ten seconds; you remember." Gilbert said sternly, holding his position despite Ludwig's reaction. He did relent some of the pressure, however, and let his brother relax slightly before he stretched the other leg. "You'll be alright, just a little more, mein bruder."

This is Ludwig, the Trainer.

**O~o~O**

"_My plug in babyyyy! Crucifies my enemies, when I'm tired of giviiiiiiing! Whoa-ao-aoh! 'n my plug in babyyyy, in unbroken virgin realities, is tired of liviiiiiiing! Oooooowwhhhahaaaaaahhh_!" A proud, strong voice sang at the top of his lungs. The guitar that was playing was being strummed at an impossible pace, while the singer went just a little crazy on it, jumping about and waving his head around. He was completely in the zone; nothing could distract him from this moment, his moment. The words that left his mouth were complete and utter rock, and the theme that resounded from his guitar was fully epic, and he was the essence of the song.

He continued his jam, hearing applause and shouts and cheers as he jumped up on the speaker, back down, fell to his knees, waved his head like crazy, and even collapsed on his back and spun around, his flawless playing and singing not even faltering.

"'_n I see your loooviiiiing,_" he continued, hitting an impossibly high note, even for falsetto. "_'n mine is gooooooonne, and I've been iiin trooouuubaaallle! WhooooaahahhhhaaaaAAAAAAAAAH-_"

"AYE BE QUIET, ARTHUR!" Roared a voice from outside, banging harshly on his bedroom door and startling the said Brit out of his imagination. "QUIT YER PLAYIN' AN' SHUT UP!"

"You shut up!" Arthur retorted, yelling at the wall as his cheeks flushed a dark red, tears nearly filling his eyes out of embarrassment and anger. He hadn't realized his brothers had gotten home yet; normally he wouldn't have been so into his jam session, but the fact that they actually heard him humiliated Arthur more than anything. He only ever sang to himself, all because everyone else would tell him just that; to stop.

"Oi, oi, Allistor, I was listening to him!" Arthur heard Alan, the Welsh one of the family, come to his defense, to his surprise. "Don't be so hard on him; he's been roughed around quite a bit recently, aye?"

"Yea, yea, whatever." Allistor grumbled, and Arthur heard his footsteps stomping away. "I'm going to listen to some _real_ music, Alan."

Arthur groaned, flopping on his back once more to the floor, playing a depressing minor chord rather loudly on his guitar. "What am I going to do with this life?" he asked his audience, a set of all his magical stuffed animals lined up neatly on his bed. "All I am told is no, all I can feel is hurt." he sat up abruptly, putting his guitar down all of a sudden. "Oi...That's a good chorus line!" he lunged for one of his many notebooks, flipped it open to his most recent page, and found a pen to scribble his exact words in whimsical cursive as usual. "I really need to finish this song...What's another good line…?" he asked himself.

"_Devoid of love and dreams, eternally trapped in asphyxiation_?" supplied a voice behind him.

Arthur didn't seem surprised. "That...Is actually really good!" he turned around and grinned at the giant stuffed dragon behind him before writing that as his next line. "Thank you, Bassi!" he told the majestic beast.

"_How can I be myself when there's no one left in me?_" asked Uni, leaping off the mattress and bounding with her flopping strides to halt by Arthur's side.

"For that I could pull a_ Hysteria_ and have one of you do a dissonant back-vocal…" Arthur replied thoughtfully, absentmindedly stroking Uni's soft back.

"_And then go up an octave and repeat 'There's no one left in me!_'" Flying Mint Bunny concluded, gliding over on top of Arthur's head.

"You guys are amazing!" Arthur laughed, falling back once again to the floor to hug all his friends. "I don't know what I would do without you!"

This is Arthur, the Rock Star.

**O~o~O**

"Hmm, mmmhmnn, mmm…" a soft voice hummed a classical tune, a smile heard with the tone of it. The air was cool outside where the male voice resonated, the breeze kissing his bare arms and cheeks and making him sigh contentedly. The sky was a spectacular shade of gold, the clouds swirling with echoes of a darker shade. The remaining red, orange, and yellow leaves of the spindly trees contrasted just beautifully with the sunset, and this was the scene he was currently recreating on the canvas.

His right hand was as steady as a rock, tenderly adding brighter accents to the image with his favorite paintbrush. His long, elegant fingers were stained with the warmer colors of the rainbow, and swift with sudden inspiration. He had to be fast, otherwise he would miss it, this perfect instant of a moment.

He sat back for a moment to observe his nearly-finished image, a small smile dancing across his lips. His eyes shined with satisfaction and his chest swelled with pride as he heard murmurs of jealousy and a pleased noise of approval from his teacher.

"I think I'm done for now…" he breathed in his native tongue, deciding it was so and turning his head for a split second to see what his teacher thought.

A grave mistake.

He turned with a hopeful smile, only to see his teacher's mouth open as if to warn him. The next thing he knew, his whole right side was covered with blue paint, and his barely-finished masterpiece was spattered with it. Horrified and trembling, he slowly faced the one to blame, eyes wide with shock and betrayal.

"...Oops!" said the boy, covering his mouth to hide his evil smile. "I tripped over your stool, Feli-chan! You shouldn't sit so far back!" the slightly larger male smiled broadly and stood up straight, scooping up the nearly empty can of blue paint and continuing on his way. He made sure to thump his foot gently upon the stool again, so it rocked awkwardly back and forth for a second while the victim flapped his arms wildly hoping to gain balance.

Unfortunately he fell with a dulled clatter upon the earth ground, but in his mad flailing attempt, he sent his pallet in the air and it too splattered paint all over the painting and himself. So his face turned into a rainbow.

Everyone laughed.

So many emotions glistened in his eyes; hurt, fury, sorrow, anger, sadness...Now openly crying, he stood up awkwardly and took his ruined painting before it too fell. His head lowered subjectively and, with a sombre expression he handed it to the teacher and mumbled an apology before turning heel and sprinting away from all the ridicule and pointless hope of a class.

He ran through the fields, the valley blooming with trees and flowers, and through the forest, crawling with growth. He cried and wept, sobbed the entire way, and he didn't care if he dropped dead running like a horse, he didn't care if his muscles collapsed and gave in, he didn't care if he heart exploded in his chest, he just wanted to get as far away as possible from those stupid, hateful, cruel, heartless people. Why did they do this to him?!

It was unfortunate that he had become a great runner after three weeks of doing this.

He had come to like the sun striking down upon him, the scent of the earth as it stirred in his wake. At least he could trust this time to not be cruel to him. Because at this point pain was what he needed to vent.

He didn't understand why everyone felt the need to hurt him. Perhaps they thought it was funny, he thought bitterly. To watch someone cry because they were better than themselves. He'd given them chances. He'd helped them out before. He'd been nice to them. But no matter what he did, all he got in return was being teased and laughed at, hated because he was better.

This was why he ran all the way to his house, tears still streaming and heart still galloping, into where he knew his brother and grandfather would be.

"We...we have to go," he gasped, wiping blue and red and yellow sweat from his face. "A-America, we h-have to go to America!"

This is Feliciano, the Artist.

**O~o~O**

"Dude, I don't wanna go back to school!" whined a purely American voice, accompanied by a soft thump as he collapsed on the couch. "This is not cool, man, I'm not gonna know anyone in High School! And I'm a Freshman too...This sucks!" he declared.

"What, you won't know me?" asked an innocent, quiet voice, calmly sitting down next to the complainer.

"Well, besides you. You're my bro, Mattie!" he laughed like it wasn't obvious already.

"Anyway, what's wrong with making new friends, Alfred? I can only imagine what it was like for the Exchange students…" the other mumbled, tilting his head slightly in thought.

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked curiously, sitting up and looking at his Canadian brother.

"Well, all we did was move out of the district, it's not like we moved out of the country, Alfred."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

There was an awkward moment of silence, so the American turned his head to look out the window, smiling at the sky. He'd never thought of moving away from all his friends as a good thing, but the opportunity for what he wanted was greater than ever. He just hadn't realized it yet. He would still miss his homeland, of course, but at least he knew good things would come of this.

He stood up and wandered to his room, mumbling an excuse to Matthew before racing up the stairs. He had just opened the door to his personal space before something soft rubbed up against his leg and meowed loudly, causing him to jump. He looked down in alarm to see his new kitten, who darted into his room before him and plopped quite comfortably on his bed.

"Oh...Hey, there," he greeted, chuckling and moving so he could stroke the cat's head. He'd found the little guy in the street with a whole litter of others in a box. Thinking it was a terrible thing, he'd asked his mother to make sure they were okay before giving them away to people who actually wanted them. He couldn't part with the last one though, a little white ginger-spotted cat with big green eyes. The only trouble was, he couldn't think of a name.

The cat mewed contentedly, closing his eyes as Alfred scratched behind his ears and down his back. He was the most adorable little thing in the American's opinion, and he was really glad the cat actually liked him, too.

"What is it you want to be called, huh?" he asked absentmindedly, smiling as the kitten purred deeply and padded into his lap, kneading Alfred's jeans with his paws. "What's a good name for you…?"

He looked around his bedroom, all the awards he'd gotten for football and track, knowing they would all be real and meaningful once he started school again. Plus he would get to meet students from different countries! He couldn't find Japan on the map, unfortunately, but he was certain he'd see all sorts of nationalities! He looked forward to meeting new people and trying out Cross-Country and other things too, like the band.

What would happen? He wanted time to hurry up and get over to him so he could do everything that tugged at the strings of his fate.

This is Alfred, the Hero.

* * *

**Whoooo Track AU :D The reason there's none of my Track-geekiness in here is because it didn't start as a Track AU, but because the season just started at my school, I'm longing to write one :D Anyway, a lot of this will be based off of me. Four Different Colours was half based off of the characters, and their relation to me XD Next chapter, though, I will have track stuff. Probably with Ludwig XD I'm thinking every chapter will be in a different point of view, but it depends...**

**Ludwig~ The Trainer, obsessed with making himself stronger. He and his brother work at his father's gym, and all he wants to do is to help others realise their inner-strength. Track comes to him naturally~ :D**

**Arthur~ The Rock star, fantasizes becoming a famous Rock idol and has a real talent for music. His love of track was inspired when he was younger directly after his obsession with Muse(An English Rock band) started.**

**Feliciano~ The Artist, wants nothing more than a friend. He has an innate talent for anything art, and a lot of his pieces depict the beauty of nature or the beauty of 5K's XD He always admired how long people could stand running~**

**Alfred~ The Hero, your classic High-schooler with nothing more but a huge heart and a great compassion for others. Very upbeat and hard to ignore, he dreams of making his mark in history as many had, and runs his heart out, basically XD**

***Fun Fact: When Arthur says 'I could pull a _Hysteria_...' He is referring to the song by Muse in which they do that.**

***Fun Fact 2: Also, the song he was singing was 'Plug In Baby' by Muse, and that song is freaking amazing :D**

***Fun Fact 3: I know I keep going on about Arthur, but I made Muse his favourite band because they are indeed English and I can relate almost every one of their songs to him, so there XD**

**~Fezzes64**


	2. Final Days

**A couple of days before school was supposed to start...**

"C'mon Ludwig! Pick it up!" yelled a gleeful voice, waving a timer madly in the air. "Give it your all!"

The boy himself hardly heard the cry and refused to acknowledge it, being in the zone like he usually was. He was rounding the last curve of his mile 'Against the clock' race, and took a shaky breath as he began his sprint. He gritted his teeth against the wind, his heart pounding away at it's cage as it usually did. He was so nervous; he could feel it coming, that moment where he would be doing the exact same thing under the command of a gun. That moment when he would race other people, and hear everyone he knew screaming his name…

He gasped as he crossed the finish line, tripping over the air at that exact time. Despite it startling him, he did manage to fall with grace and without injury, rolling to a neat halt. His eyes were wide with his realisation, and, still panting, he sat up and pressed his fist to his chest. He moaned slightly, just before Gilbert bounded towards him with one of the broadest smiles he'd ever seen.

"Luds! _Mien Prussia_! You must be on feuer today, huh?!" his brother exclaimed excitedly, waving the timer around his face. "_Schauen sie! Schauen sie_!" he insisted in heavy German, doing his little snoopy dance of victory.

Ludwig simply tried to bat the timer away as if it were an annoying fly. "What has you so excited…?" he mumbled dazedly, leaning forwards to try standing again. His hands hurt from having the black track imprinted into his palms, and he probably had minor scrapes on his knees...But before he could move, Gilbert had shoved the timer once more in his face and the numbers on the digital screen caught his irritated gaze.

"4...4:29…?" he asked meekly, eyes widening in disbelief as he met his brother's big, red, excited ones. "Th-there's no way…"

But he was met with an eager nod. "You shaved off nearly ten seconds, Luds!" Gil nearly shrieked out of excitement, giggling like a little girl. "You're nearly as awesome as me! I'm so proud of you!"

Ludwig was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he had just PRed...In practice. This never happened, not for him. With a confused, nearly in-awe face, he looked behind himself at the stands, then to his left, feeling his heart catch in his chest as he imagined the starter gun man standing there, watching him intently. He didn't feel his breaths slowing at all, so he made one last move to stand, rocking to his heels to gaze at the school he would soon be attending.

"It must be the track! Luds, that was amazing! You looked perfectly relaxed, and you didn't even break stride! And this is after quarters, too! But like Vati said, you have to work on keeping your laps consistent with the pace you're going for…" Gilbert began going on about times and what else he could have Ludwig do to improve, as he led them to the back gate, down the hundred meter part. And Ludwig smiled.

He missed this. He missed when Gilbert was his coach during the long, pulsing summers, encouraging him along the grudging winter days. He missed all the blaring, adrenaline-driven track meets, and the eternal, tiring nights spent training for the next week's meet. But this was back in Germany, his home country. Even after being here for nearly a week, he never thought America could match those times. Ludwig stared shamefully at the track, seeking consolation from the dark, sun-heated lane he walked in. He should have done more to stay in his happy place. But even now, he realised with a grim smile, this track felt like home. Every track did.

They had come to America because their father's gym's company was stringing all the way across the Atlantic, and for reasons he wouldn't say, they were now headquartered on the other side of the world. Everything was happening so fast that Ludwig was still adjusting to the time zone, and he barely had any time to blink before school started, really. Did life in the Western Hemisphere always move this fast? He certainly hoped not; he would never keep up despite his adaptive mindset.

Ludwig was pretty sure the only refuge he would find was with his brother, loyal and always there, and at the nice gym they now called theirs.

And, as Gilbert finished his pleased and satisfied lecture, they began the pleasant five-mile jog back to their unfamiliar home.

**O~o~O**

**Around this same time, Arthur was upsetted.**

He spit his tea all over the living room. "_WHAT?!_" he roared in shock at his brothers, very nearly dropping his cup.

"I said, we're moving to America," Allistor repeated calmly, crossing his legs smirking up at his younger brother as Aiden and Adrian both cracked up simultaneously at their English brother's reaction. "What about that don't you understand, Arthur?" he inquired innocently, clasping his hands and leaning comfortably into the big leather sofa.

Arthur flung the tea cup at the Scottie, giving up the rest of his beverage. "Absolutely not! We are not going to America unless you have a death wish!" he began to lecture. Despite being the youngest, he did have a fair amount of authority. "Just because you turned Eighteen this year does not mean you get to decide everything from here on out! That is Alan's job!"

"What, and because you're Fifteen, you get to tell everyone what to do?" Aiden retorted to his left, still laughing as he stood up, towering above his little brother.

"That is exactly right!" Arthur huffed indignantly, crossing his arms.

"Oh, I do beg to differ!" Allistor joined Aiden, and they began to gang up on Arthur.

They were nearly nose to nose with each other, but then another brother intervened. "Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty," he chuckled lightheartedly, putting a hand on Allistor and Aiden. "And gentleman." he smiled at Arthur, winking.

"Aw, Alan, you never have any fun, do you?" Adrian asked from behind the group, still laughing, and exchanged a high-five with his twin, Aiden. "At least we're the pretty lassies, eh?" This satisfied the two, and they stood down, but Allistor still leered at Arthur.

"Unfortunately for you, Arthur, it was Alan's decision." the Scott grinned. "We're moving to America and getting a better life starting Saturday, because both Alan and I got job opportunities there."

Shocked, Arthur looked to his only trusted brother, only to see an apologetic smile, confirming his worst nightmare.

"...Oh…" He said softly.

And this was how it went for the rest of the week. Arthur became suddenly secluded and quiet, and despite the twins and Allistor's lack of care, Alan still appeared concerned for the younger Brit. See, Arthur had weekly habits, and hobbies he would do to pass the time. The only thing he did in their last week in England was go out with his Track team, and do the hardest and longest runs possible. The team enjoyed this because it was a lot more fun anyway, but they were all still sad about their captain leaving for America. He didn't even play or listen to music anymore! It felt as if he'd given up everything except what physically tired him. However, what Arthur didn't know was that soon, he would find that life across the Atlantic wouldn't be as bad as he imagined, and he would find what he truly dreamed of. But for now he would have to wait.

After a while though, Aiden and Adrian did try to comfort their brother. They insisted he would catch the ladies' attention with his 'captivating and cute' accent, but girls were of no concern to the Brit, unfortunately. Falling in love wasn't even of interest to him. He was afraid of things being too hard for him with music, with friends, with his other interests, and he had no idea how American track teams worked. Surely they had some sort of sophisticated running going on…Regardless, the point was, he wanted to stay in England. And even if he thought his life was perfect and America would twist it all up, he would have to suffer the rest of the week thinking it was the end of the world.

It was on the morning they had just left the house when Arthur remembered. "I forgot something!" he cried in explanation, running back indoors to his bedroom to grab his guitar and his faithful stuffed, green, winged rabbit, and rushed back, confident he had everything else he needed now. He was ready.

**O~o~O**

**Some time after this, Feli arrived in his new dwelling.**

"_Is this our new house?!_" Feliciano asked in his native tongue with awe, blinking his big topaz eyes in shock as he looked around the inside. He couldn't help but smile as even Lovino looked excited. "_This looks fantastic!_"

"_Yes, it really does_…" His brother looked absolutely blown away, and brushed his hair back with a big breath. He looks so unfamiliar with a smile, Feli thought with a silly grin as he and his older sibling shared a glance.

"English, boys," their grandfather reminded them happily, coming up from behind the two. "This is America now. And it is quite a lovely little place, no?" he inquired, rubbing his chin smugly at his grandson's shock. Although Lovino frowned; both Feli and their Grandfather knew he couldn't speak English that well.

Little was hardly the appropriate word; the place was huge! With renewed excitement, Feli grabbed Lovi's wrist and bounded down the entrance hall and into the living room, which revealed a large staircase and a beautiful central area...It was an amazing place! The two brothers quickly started exploring and letting out thrilled laughs at each new discovery. After being so used to a pleasant rural area, this suburban place was more than either of them could have dreamed of!

The place had so much potential, too; as Lovino and Feli chased each other around the gigantic mansion with just as big grins, they were already figuring where things would go, where their rooms would be, how the kitchen could be fixed to specialise in pasta-making, where the perfect hanging-out places were...They were running along the indoor balcony that perimetered the main room when Feli stumbled upon a door that led downstairs, and not just back down to the first floor.

Both the brothers opened it just slightly and peered into the darkness. But feeling immediately creeped out by the eerie aura that seemed to emanate from the lack of light, they simultaneously slammed it shut and continued on their conquest, trying to forget it.

They didn't even seem to care that school was the day after next.

Eventually they began to unpack their things into their selected bedrooms. They had agreed to let Feli have the one just beside the outdoor balcony so he had plenty of room to paint and such, and Lovino decided on the one just down the hall, closest to the stairs. This pleased the both of them, and it was only when their grandfather called that they parted for a moment from their new refuges.

"Boys~! I'm going to go visit one of my old friends who works near here! Either of you care to join me?"

He smiled warmly when he heard sounds of rushing around up the stairs and he saw Feliciano stumble out of his hallway, trying to put his shoes on with paint-stained hands at the same time as hopping down the stairs. He sported a bright smile, the sweet boy he was. Lovino followed soon after, not as enthusiastic, but willing just the same. They both followed their grandfather as he strolled to his Ferrari, and smiled as he ignited the engine.

Lovino let Feli sit up front, as usual, since the silly brother of his loved the feeling of wind on his face. As he often said, he was like a puppy on caffeine, which is true in more than one way...Anyways, Grandpa took them down a few roads, past a high school, which he pointed to saying it was the one they would be going to, and around a few corners to a more urban part of the town. Along the way they passed a pair of runners; a silver-haired boy who looked old enough to be a senior, and a slightly shorter blond...Although more toned and muscular in form. Feli waved happily at them, not caring if it was weird anymore; he was too happy.

The taller senior-boy waved back with a huge smile and a thumbs-up, and the other nodded to him.

Grandpa Julius finally pulled into a parking space near the place(**Whoo, that rhymed :D**) he was talking about. Feli realised it was a really big, really expensive looking gym. "Whoah…" he said softly as they got out of the car, locked it, and walked towards it. "You have a friend that works here?" he asked in amazement.

"Of course! I'll introduce him to you, just follow me!" their Grandfather headed for the doors with the two boys trailing behind, still in awe. But as soon as they were inside, they were greeted by a tall, long blond haired, gruff looking man with a tough German accent. Julius greeted him happily, and introduced his grandsons.

"Feliciano and Lovino, this is my old friend, Mr. Beilschmidt! He and I are going to talk for a while, so why don't you two look around? Have fun!" he waved at them, and they reluctantly left the adults, unfamiliar in a gym environment.

**O~o~O**

**And around this same time, Alfred was out for a run.**

"Whoah! Dude!" he said out loud as he passed the new gym. "I can't wait until school starts so I have a reason to start working out at a gym again!...Huh. Well, that's a fancy car." he was referring to a big red Ferrari parked near the entrance of the building. But he didn't think much of it, anyway. Today was a good day for him, so he decided to make the most of it, running around this new-ish town.

He rather liked the steady beat of his feet hitting the concrete, and the feel of the sun warming his back. It'd been a hot summer so far, and he was ready for school, and the slightly cooler seasons in between. He knew very well he would regret saying that, though...He always ended up hating winter until the end of the next spring. Little love-hate relationship going on there.

Anyway, he had crossed the street and turned around to head back home when he spotted three people entering the gym...At this hour? It was starting to get dark out, and it wasn't a 24 Hour gym, so...Ah. Well.

He ran a little harder on the way home, feeling the need to challenge himself and get to his house before all the natural light vanished. So, he ran, and he ran with vigor and pride and all the hopes he carried with him...All he loved, as he raced down the sidewalk to his dwelling. The Fourteen year-old may have been young, but his heart was as big as the country he lived in.

He finally got to the corner of the living complex his house was in and ran through the entrance, wearing a huge smile. He waved at the security guard, and continued on his way down Independence Street. There was a particular house he made sure to pass every time before, though, so he made a left on the corner of Live Long and Prosper and looked at it.

Someone had moved in, he realised with shock. That Ferrari he'd seen earlier...He hadn;t noticed it pass him, but there it was. Who was rich enough to buy a house that big? With this news in mind, he ran the rest of the way to his house just down the street, eager to tell his brother.

**O~o~O**

_"What the-?!" Ludwig asked. "It's everywhere, Gilbert!" he scrubbed furiously at one of the handles of the bench press with sanitiser._

_"It's up here, too!" his brother replied, finding this increasingly funny, even though it only annoyed Ludwig._

_"Honestly, who gets paint everywhere while at a gym?!" he muttered to himself, observing his rainbow-coloured hands before getting back to work._

* * *

**Okay! Next chapter will be at school, I promise...I just reeeeaaaallllllllllyyy wanted to update this and so it would be off my chest...Updates to this story will probably be more frequent than my others because I get a flood of inspiration every time I go to a track meet XD Sooo, yea, is this alright? XP I'm afraid it wasn't that interesting, other than maybe Ludwig PRing...PR means Personal Record, btw for those who don't know track XD Hoping you at least enjoyed it a little XD**

***Fun Fact 4: When Gilbert mentions 'quarters', he is referring to consecutive one-lap sprints with only a little rest inbetween XD**

***Fun Fact 5: I honestly have no idea what Germania's real name is, so he is just Mr. Beilschmidt XD I called Rome Julius because...well...I dunno XD**

**Anyone have any guesses on what the paint was from in that last scene? XD Weeell, that's about it! Questions? Pm me if you have any~! Have a lovely day! :D**

**~Fezzes64**


	3. Bliss and Skiing

**The Trainer**

Ludwig took a deep breath, not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing. He had stepped inside the school, precisely thirty minutes early with his brother, but had lost him within the first ten seconds of his entrance. He was already beginning to feel overwhelmed by the upperclassmen around him, who seemed endless in number as they swam past him like salmon down a waterfall. He was taller than a decent number of them, but he was still only a freshman. So, with grim determination and a slight annoyance with his situation, our favourite German began fighting the current, refusing to be a rock in the rapids any longer.

He quickly realised why everyone was crowded around the front; the tables where older students were handing out schedules were right there, so he rolled his searing gaze and made it to the one that said 'A-G'.

"Freshman?" the olive-toned girl who sat there asked him as he approached uncertainly, creasing his brows just slightly..

He nodded and watched her carefully as she pulled out the packet with all the respective alphabetical Freshman names. She had bright brown eyes; unusual from where he came from. He tried not to stare and instead observed her odd features from the corner of his eye. He wondered if she wore contacts to make her eyes that shade of colour.

Flipping her bright red, probably dyed hair from her face so she could see, she looked up again. "Name?"

"Beilschmidt. Ludwig Beilschmidt." he replied with a low voice, keeping his face straight and stoic as usual. He almost frowned, and she averted her gaze as if intimidated.

"Bay...leh…" she accidentally made the last part of his name sound like a curse word in English that sounded a little too similar. "Oh, geez, I'm so sorry!" she apologised quickly, realising her mistake and smiling nervously while looking at him, hoping for forgiveness.

"It's fine. It happens a lot." he replied dully. Lies. In Germany, no one ever mispronounced his name.

"Can you say again?" she asked, still looking a little worried.

Mentally shaking his head, he didn't say anything at first, but he found the 'B-e's on the list and located his name. He pointed to it to indicate it's spelling. "Beilschmidt." he repeated, wishing he didn't feel like glaring at her.

"Oh!" she looked confused for a second, but didn't seem to want to risk saying his name wrong again. Instead she began looking for the same name on the schedules laid out neatly before her. Finding it with better speed, she hastened to hand it to him. "Here ya go! Really sorry about that, Ludwig. Have a good day!"

"You too," he mumbled, nodding to her before moving out of the way of the other students and glancing at his schedule.

Apparently he had athletics first. Something called 'Cross Country'...But he was pretty sure people didn't ski around here. He was a little confused as to why they would label a sport like that. He didn't know how to ski anyway.

So, putting on that determined poker face of his, he marched off in the general direction of where he believed his class was.

"Well...They said the foyer was down the left hall from the library…" he murmured, scratching the back of his head and glancing in the said direction. He began taking slow, reluctant steps in that direction, unsure if it was the correct way or not. He hated getting lost.

The lockers lined up along the wall were a dark, rose red to match the school colours, and the white tile floors were shiny, probably recently cleaned and waxed. There were posters everywhere along the walls about bullying and depression, things you shouldn't do underage...But on a lighter note, there were also ones that promoted school teams, and teachers, veterans, officials, the list went on. Under normal circumstances this would have been a very boring school, but just the atmosphere made everything feel comfortable and pleasant.

Ludwig managed a small smile at this thought, and his stride became less hesitant. However, a noise startled him slightly as he approached the stairwell, and he slowed, blinking in surprise.

He paused for just a brief second as he realised someone was coming down from the second floor, and the odd noise was the said person humming...Ah. He quickly moved on, not wanting to look weird for watching them come down, and somehow caught a small glimpse of them before they disappeared from his sight.

He looked like a sophomore, but he could be wrong; he hadn't yet mastered assuming one's age based on appearance. It was probably just the other's expression as he brushed his messy locks out of his face; he looked like he was angry but he didn't want to be. Maybe the humming was calming.

He jumped slightly when he noticed the boy was going in the same direction he was, but at the same pace a few metres behind. The single most awkward place for either boy in the hall. Well. At least he had a nice voice. It sounded practiced and refined over a period of time, despite the fact he wasn't even singing. Ludwig decided to focus on that rather than the awkwardness of their placement. But for some reason the tune he was humming sounded familiar…

He turned his head just slightly as the other went down a scale and into some other verse, and out of the corner of his eye the boy looked up in surprise. The song halted.

"Ah...sorry." the shorter one apologised from behind. Kind words, but his expression looked slightly miffed. "It's a weird habit."

"_Nien, nien_, it's fine." Ludwig stopped to let the boy catch up, to the other's mild confusion. "I just felt like I've heard that somewhere else before."

"Oh?" the shorter asked absentmindedly, glancing at Ludwig with startling green eyes. "That's odd. It's not one of their new or biggest hits…" he trailed off in thought, looking forwards again.

"Whose new or big hits?" Ludwig asked curiously, taking in the other's features up close and personal. His eyes, obviously, were a magnificent green. They were tired and dulled with frequent annoyance, but narrowed slightly with an automatic disdain for nearly anyone who spoke to him. His yellow-blonde hair was in no particular style, almost as if he'd woken up that way and not bothered with it. He wore the perfect match to his accent; a Union Jack T-shirt and dark jeans, and in his hand he carried a similar slip of paper to Ludwig's.

"Mm? Oh, um, Muse. and 'Bliss'..." the Brit answered, looking off to the side. "It's a band. Nothing special." he explained quickly, as if already expecting the dreaded question. Although the way he said it hinted the opposite of what he meant.

Ludwig knew who Muse was; he'd been to a concert of theirs in Germany when he was younger. But the boy next to him had an air of finality in his previous words, so he decided not to say anything. But maybe he knew his way around the school, having come from downstairs. Maybe he knew where Cross Country was?

"Er…" the other started awkwardly, realising he was the conversation ender. "By any chance, do you know where the foyer is?" he cast a hesitant look at the German.

Ludwig returned the gaze. "No, I was about to ask you the same," he replied.

"Ah." the Brit frowned. "I guess we're in this together, eh?" he crossed his arms, and Ludwig noticed as his schedule peeked out from under his arm that 'Cross Country' at the top of his as well.

"Um...What...is Cross Country anyway?" he managed to ask. "Isn't it a Skiing event in the Olympics or something…?"

"That is exactly what I thought!" the Brit's eyes suddenly lit up and he smiled a little in shock. But his smile was one of relief, and it lifted a weight off of his mood, it seemed. It was the kind of smile that looked like he probably hadn't smiled in a good while.

Ludwig grinned a little awkwardly back; socialising wasn't his thing.

"I was told it was another kind of running or another, and that was the only reason I was talked into it," the boy continued, appearing as if he'd witnessed a revelation now that someone had understood what he was thinking. He and Ludwig were probably alike in many ways. "I guess it's what they call "5k's" here...The distance, anyway. It's not on a track; it's through fields and roads and such. Personally, I'm only in it for the running; I prefer Track."

Ludwig blinked. "Is that so?" he found the courage to meet the Brit's eyes. "I guess I am too; I'm more opted to the track myself." he felt as if this was the most he'd ever talked to another peer in his entire life, but it felt nice.

His new acquaintance smiled, and both felt the connection already there; all track runners did. But there was something more...maybe they ran a similar event? Nothing else needed to be said, except, of course, what should have been the very first statement. "My name is Arthur," the Brit said, offering his hand. "Yours?"

"Ludwig," he answered, shaking his hand. But before either of them could say anything else, someone hailed them from just around the corner.

"Hey! Are you two in Cross Country?" it looked sounded like a coach, and the boys quickly approached to see what was going on.

It was a man; he was bald on the top of his head, with grey hair along the lower side. He kind of looked like Captain Picard from Star Trek, only with a slightly thinner face and blue eyes. He wasn't the only one there, either. Other high schoolers, mostly boys, looked up as the pair entered.

It had to be the foyer; the spectator gym was through the pair of double doors on the left, beside a wall of memorabilia for the school sports.

Ludwig and Arthur paused for a second, observing the (small) crowd. The majority of the boys were dark skinned, and based on the area they were in, Ludwig had to assume they were Mexican, or at least Spanish. The girls were almost the same way, but half-and-half. But you could see all sorts of nationalities in between, no need for discrimination.

"...Ah! Um, yes," Arthur said quickly, remembering before Ludwig that there was a question still unanswered. "Are we in...the, um, right place?"

The man nodded bluntly. "I'm Coach Lewis. I'm not the Cross Country coach, but I'm here to see if any of you will be good for my Track team You two are Ludwig…er...and Arthur Kirkland, right?" he checked his list and looked at the two.

"Yes." both boys answered simultaneously.

"Well...That should be everyone. Alright, I'll let Coach Alonzo know, you guys introduce yourselves to the team and such. Practice starts tomorrow, and I'll let Coach know when Track Practice starts. Have a good day." he waved.

Left to their own devices, Ludwig and Arthur awkwardly joined the rest of the group, when a short hispanic girl came up to them.

"Ludwig and Arthur?" she asked, as two boys of a similar nationality and another girl who was tanned to a bronze tone, but not hispanic. "I'm Stacy, the captain. This is Joaquin," she nodded to the taller of the two boys. "Iran, and Jasmine. We're the main Varsity runners."

**O~o~O**

It was when Ludwig retreated to the bathroom after lunch that he found something weird.

"..." he frowned as he went to wash his hands, finding that the sink he was standing at had quite a bit of paint on it. "Isn't this the same paint from the gym?" he asked himself, unable to keep himself from scrubbing it off. He noticed a similar shade of crimson and a lavender that he'd seen yesterday. He didn't like it at first, since the cleaning from yesterday had given him a headache. But, y'know, he was a perfectionist.

He grumbled to himself a bit as he left., trying to remove the vivid colours that hadn't come off his hands from the previous day.

**O~o~O**

He wasn't really sure why Gilbert had put him in Orchestra at first, but he figured it out pretty quickly; he was the only Cello player who could do anything, really. He found Arthur again too; he was the only Violin player who had real skills. In fact, Ms. Sunder, the director, offered to move them both and a couple of others to the Varsity level, in first period. It would make a big difference, since this was currently the very last period of the day. Regardless, after a bit of mindless practice, the bell rang and everyone was free to go home.

And Ludwig decided to test out his new 'friend' skills.

He tentatively approached Arthur in the hall, since he was standing against the wall and not looking very busy at all. He looked a bit lonely, if he were honest. But he might as well since he had to go to the Track and let Gilbert train him soon.

"H-hello," he said, joining the Brit on his right side. He winced a little at how weak and nervous he sounded.

"Mm? Oh, Hello, Ludwig," Arthur flashed him a half-hearted smile and crossed his arms, shifting to acknowledge his presence. He didn't seem uncomfortable, though. That was "It's good to see a friendly face again."

"Are you alright?" Ludwig asked as his acquaintance let out a deep sigh. It was weird; he just sensed something was bugging the Brit, like something unpleasant was on his mind.

Arthur grimaced, but nodded. "Yes, yes, quite." he breathed, brushing hair out of his face. "I'm just...I really don't want to go home and I was expecting some hard training. I really miss...England. I want to go back home."

Ludwig nodded knowingly. "I still feel the same about Germany," he replied with a reminiscent smile. "I miss home a lot, but I'm growing a little on this place." he suddenly got a small idea in his head, and for some reason he wouldn't let it go. He tried to shove the thought out of his mind, but couldn't help but blurt it out loud. "You said you like track, right?"

The Brit creased his brows and smiled a little in slight confusion. "Yes, why?" he turned towards the German. But there was something about his eyes, a hidden eagerness, a strong want to agree…

"My brother is training me for a 5k this weekend, and for Track season. Would you like to join me?" Ludwig's voice didn't come out as awkward, and he even managed a small smile. A sure sign of his excitement. Could he possibly share his love for Track with someone else? Was it possible someone can understand?

"I…" Arthur looked taken aback with shock, and...flattered. And his smile was barely believing, like he didn't think it was real. "I-I would love to!" he answered with a bright grin.

* * *

**YAY :D So this chapter wasn't THAT interesting, but I promise you the next one, all four will meet :D I just had to establish some more Muse, some of my real life elements XD Get ready for the first day of practice tomorrow~! :D Well, next chapter, you knew what I meant XD NOTE: Title has been changed from 'Four Different Colours' to 'Four Different Lanes' to match the Track theme XP**

**Fun Fact 6: Although you couldn't tell, Arthur was indeed humming 'Bliss' by Muse. He has a little history and an undying love for this song, but he can never find a reason to perform it.**

**Fun Fact 7: Coach Lewis, Coach Alonzo, Stacy, Joaquin, Iran, Jasmine, and Ms. Sunder are all people I know and love in real life :D More will be introduced, but they won't be major characters perse for the sake of the story XD**

**Fun Fact 8: Joaquin is a Mexican name pronounced 'Wah-Keen', but all rolled together. 'Wakeen' XD Iran is pronounced like the country, or if you're super Mexican, he goes by 'Ih-dan' too X3 On my Cross Country/Track team, Stacy and I tease them; we call Joaquin 'Walking' and Iran like 'I ran' XD**

**~Fezzes64**


	4. Glasses and Butterflies

**The Rock Star**

"So...Your brother is quite the character, isn't he?" Arthur asked, turning his head slightly towards his new friend as he ran alongside him. For once, he actually felt comfortable smiling around someone.

Ludwig chuckled a little breathlessly and nodded in agreement. "_Ja_, that is one way to put it."

They were both currently running the Cross Country course for their morning training with the rest of the team. The lead pack mostly consisted of the Varsity boys, and a couple of enthusiastic and daring Freshman. Arthur knew they would fall behind quickly, and that he and Ludwig would do better at their pace just behind them. They were even comfortable enough to chat, making amused comments at the inexperienced runners up ahead.

"You're lucky to have such a good brother like him to train you. My brothers barely know what a track looks like, much less what running is." Arthur sighed, grimacing a little as they had to navigate between a fence. They continued to match strides at their even pace, passing up a few fellow teammates.

Ludwig nodded slightly, noting his point. "My brother and my father both train me like that, but...I really only have them. If I'm honest, I am a little jealous that you have more than one sibling. At least they'd be more company." he shrugged, as if it didn't matter all that much.

Arthur tilted his head to the side, accepting the German's point of view and agreeing. "I suppose it would get a bit lonely for you after a while, eh?"

They stopped talking for a bit after that, taking a couple of moments to catch their breath and focus on running. Unlike a lot of the other students, who had earbuds in to listen to music, Arthur and Ludwig preferred the gentle pounding of feet on the Earth, especially Arthur, who would hardly ever take out his music for anything. Also, they really had to concentrate on learning the course since it would become their warm-up.

Arthur had a song stuck in his head, obviously, by Muse. He played it in his head, and sped it up slightly to match the beat of his shoes striking the ground. He did this all the time, because he'd rather focus on the outside air and his breathing than his earplugs falling out. It was 'Survival', the one Bellamy had written for the London Olympic games. He had to admit, it felt nice to have it there, since his team used to play it at meets for him back in England.

Memories. Feels hurting. He quickly tried to shake England out of his mind, and glanced at Ludwig, who was looking ahead down the field. He looked so intimidating at first, but he was really just shy and a bit isolated. From what he understood, Ludwig worked at his father's gym and was one of the trainers there, teaching cycling and strength classes. Arthur admired him in a way; he was strong and talented, but he was very modest about it.

Ludwig suddenly shook his head, smiling a little amusedly. "What are they doing? We still have two and a half miles to go," he chuckled.

Curious as to what was so funny, Arthur followed his gaze past the Varsity leaders and to the Freshman group who had sprinted ahead. He found himself laughing, already knowing what place they would come in. "Fools," he shook his head. "They're never going to be able to finish with a good time."

Their conversation came to a halt when they noticed that group begin to horse around up ahead, pushing each other around teasingly. At first it was funny, but when it came to shoving, the two became a little concerned.

One of them tripped and face-planted the ground, startling Arthur and Ludwig. They simultaneously rushed forwards past the Varsity team to the other boy's aid as his friends laughed and ran on, completely ignoring the fallen. Shocked, Arthur glared at their backs and fell to his knees by the other's side along with Ludwig. This boy looked a little scared, and it appeared as if he'd lost something. He didn't look like he could see very well, and he patted the ground around him frantically.

"Oi, are you alright? That looked painful," Arthur asked, gently touching the other's back and glancing confusedly at the ground, trying to understand what he was looking for.

"Wh-wha-? Oh, y-yeah, I'm good bro, I just can't find my...M-my…" he trailed off distractedly and Ludwig picked up something off the ground.

"Your glasses?" he supplied, wincing as a few pieces of shattered glass fell from the broken lenses. The boy's nearly blind blue eyes widened in shock and Arthur's expression turned a little grim. "Um…" the German said awkwardly, biting his lip.

"Come," Arthur said softly, taking the boy's arm with a slight sigh. "We'll take you to the nurse and explain it to coach." Ludwig took the cue and helped from the other side, and together they led him back across the field. They were a little disappointed about having to miss the rest of practice since the weather was just perfect for running, but no one else was going to help him, probably. As they approached the school, the other boy, looking guilty and unsure at the same time, kept a steady gaze on the ground as he stumbled along.

Arthur felt bad for him, which was a first. Normally he would have been sternly snapping at him, telling him it was his own fault and that he shouldn't have been so irresponsible, but there was something about the other that kept him from doing so. He cast an obvious side glance at him, knowing he couldn't see so he could get away with it.

He would never admit it out loud, but Arthur thought he was like a little boy; a youthful, childish face, big puppy-dog eyes, and...Dare he go further? He may have been taller and more muscular, but so helpless at this point.

"Are...Are you sure you're alright?" he inquired, noticing a few marks on his face from the ground. He felt so weird asking, since he'd never really had to before. But it felt like it came naturally, to insist upon making sure he was okay.

The other boy looked over to him, startled, and not quite able to catch his eyes. "Y-yeah," he said.

"What is your name?" Ludwig asked from his other side.

"A-Alfred. Alfred F. Jones," the boy answered. He looked like a lot was going through his head and he wanted to give voice to it all, but he didn't want to bother the two any more than he already was. Poor guy.

"Mm." Ludwig nodded. "I'm Ludwig, and-" he looked at Arthur.

"Kirkland. Arthur Kirkland," Arthur finished, exchanging a small smile with the German.

The American called Alfred laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Th-thanks guys, I really didn't expect any of that to happen, much less someone to help me out...I owe you a lot!" he lost a bit of his nervous attitude and grinned at both Arthur and Ludwig.

"Nonsense, anyone else with the decency would have done the same," Arthur shook his head as they arrived at the door to the foyer from the student parking lot. "Wait a second…" he mumbled, pulling on the locked door to no avail and slowly turned to look at the other two. "...How are we supposed to get inside?"

**O~o~O**

After the long trek back to Coach Alonzo, then around to the front, the boys did eventually get in the school. But they had barely taken five steps indoors before they had to stop again, hailed from behind.

"H-hey, you guys! C-Coach Alonzo wanted me to give this to you!" called a voice.

The three turned, only to startle their caller and cause him to crash into Alfred with an alarmed cry out of both of them. Ludwig reached back to try to catch them, and Arthur tried to stop their fall, but it all ended in vain. There was a mess of ginger hair, flailing arms, jingling from someone's pocket, and yelling boys, and somehow all four of them managed to roll about three feet from their original position.

When they finally stopped panicking, they realised everyone in the hall was staring at them and trying not to laugh. Arthur was underneath Alfred, somehow having flipped their positions. Ludwig was half on top of Alfred, and the new boy was panting on the German's chest, slightly traumatised. Everyone took a moment to recognise the utter awkwardness of this moment.

All at once they scrambled off of each other and to their feet, dusting themselves- and one another- off. Arthur coughed awkwardly and blushed slightly as he steadied Alfred, who nearly lost his balance with his lack of sight.

The original three turned to the other, who had stumbled a little ways, but looked up at them just the same.

"Uhum...S-sorry," he apologised quickly. He was just slightly lower in height than Arthur, making him the shortest. He had big topaz-coloured eyes and vivid ginger hair, with a peculiar curl sticking up. A little like Alfred's little cowlick, Arthur thought with an inward smile. "I-I didn't mean to do that…"

"It's fine," Arthur replied, shaking his head to convey that he did nothing wrong. "Um…" he recognised him from the team. He had been running up with the Varsity group. "What is your name?" he glanced at Ludwig, and made a double-take as he realised the German boy was staring a little angrily at the auburn-haired boy's hands, which were being wrung nervously. For some reason they were stained with paint...

"Feliciano..." the Italian answered like it was a question, looking really nervous. "U-um, Coach Alonzo wanted me to give you these," he reached into his pocket and pulled out keys. "He said to open the locker rooms as soon as you were done since school starts in a little while. And he, um, told me to stay with you guys." he finished, lowering his head slightly, just noticing Ludwig's stare.

"...Ah. Alright." Arthur smiled a little, nodded. "Yes. Let us go, then. Alfred, we'll see if we can do anything for your glasses. Ludwig, Feliciano, let's...do this, I guess."

**O~o~O**

_The cheering was absolutely mad. But it felt so good to hear it, knowing it was all for him. He pumped both of his fists to excite the crowd even more as he entered the bell lap. The gun went off as he passed the line for the eighth and final time, letting out a shout as he picked up the pace. Everyone else in the race was far behind, nowhere near catching him. There was no doubt he was going to win._

_The air was cool and pleasantly moist on his face as he began his sprint around the last three hundred metres. He was on his runner's high a little early, he noticed, as he saluted the crowd on the opposite side and earning a chant to his name in return. He closed his eyes as he rounded the final corner of the race, taking one last big breath before taking his full out sprint, letting himself run double-time to the beat of his name._

_"AR-THUR! AR-THUR! AR-THUR! AR-YEAAAHWHHOOOOO!" he finished with a flourish, leaping across the line and landing in the arms of all his friends. He threw his arms around someone, barely able to breathe, but so happy he didn't care anymore. It felt so nice, to be appreciated like this. He was pulled close to someone's chest, a gold medal was lain around his neck, someone poured water on him._

_This was everything he wanted all at once, everything he could only dream of, to have the glory all to himself, for every single person, even not on his team, to be screaming his name. Someone pressed their lips to his cheek and softly murmured his name in his ear, and Arthur leaned towards those lips again-_

He abruptly awoke, only to come face-to-face with Alfred. He let out a (_very manly_) squeak and felt his face immediately heat up, thinking it must have been Alfred who'd...Oh dear. He shuddered slightly, putting a hand on his bright red cheek as Alfred sat beside him on the next desk over.

"Dude, are you alright?" Alfred laughed, patting him gently on the back. Arthur jumped a little at the sudden contact, and looked away. "Ya look a little red...You fell asleep after we finished our work, and the teacher left a while ago to copy some papers. The period's almost over, bro," he nodded to the clock on the far wall, and Arthur groggily looked up at it.

"Bloody…" he mumbled, blinking dazedly at the desk and making a move to get his backpack together. "I've only been half-awake since first period started, ughh…" he groaned and let his forehead thump against the edge of the table.

"Arthur looks so tired, Ve~!" Feliciano giggled in front of him, leaning forwards to look at him. "You've been asleep for almost half an hour!"

"_Ja_, he has…" Ludwig said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his desk with a nod. "Fourth period is almost over, like Alfred said, Arthur. Will you be up for practice again this afternoon? Alfred and Feliciano will be joining us, and Gilbert was going to talk to Coach Lewis."

Arthur looked up in slight surprise. He still hadn't gotten over Ludwig's kindness from yesterday...or the running. Gilbert had run them hard at practice. "I'm still a bit sore from that," he mumbled, and Ludwig chuckled and smiled in understanding. "Yes, I'll be ready. Anyway, if Coach Lewis is going to be there, does that make us the first runners for track this year?" he sat up properly to look up at his friends.

"I guess," Ludwig shrugged. "I'm just glad to be part of it. I can feel it...The first track meet is coming soon…" he muttered a little darkly, letting his gaze slide absentmindedly to the window, at the cloudy/rainy weather outside.

"I get that too, dude!" Alfred exclaimed. "It's like butterflies in my tummy, and I get this rush of anxiousness when I see the track!"

Arthur snickered, and Alfred looked at him confusedly. "What?"

"Did you seriously just say 'butterflies in my tummy'?" Arthur inquired, reaching up to ruffle Alfred's hair, and Ludwig and Feliciano burst out laughing at the American's face.

_I think I found my group_, Arthur thought with a smile. _I bet we'll be friends for a while_.

* * *

**TWO UPDATES IN ONE WEEKEND?! WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?! XD Wow, I must be really into this...Promises of better chapters in the future in place now because I have many ideas...Guitars and acoustic songs at Track meets, more dreams of unknowing romance, weird track uniforms XD I hope you guys look forward to it...when I noticed I had more reviews I swear I was in tears :') I hope I can make this into one of the great stories like 'His Frozen Fingertips' and 'Run Fast, Turn Left'...I need to come up with a better summary XP I love you readers so much :"D All I ask is that any reader tells me what they think, what I can improve to make it more exciting...And that you can favourite it or something so others see XP Here we go~**

**Fun Fact 9: 'Survival' is indeed the first theme song for the London Olympic Games, which you can imagine made Arthur happy XD When he says Bellamy, or Matt Bellamy, he is referring to the lead singer of Muse.**

**Fun Fact 10: When Ludwig was staring at Feli's hands, you can imagine he was putting two and two together, right? XD**

**Fun Fact 11: Yeees, calm down, Arthur was dreaming Alfred kissed him, don't be so excited X3 *Giggles madly***

**Fun Fact 12: 'Butterflies in my tummy'...A legitimate quote from nearly every track runner at the sight of a starting gun XD**

**~Fezzes64**

**P.S. ALL WHO ARE READING ARE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND I LOVE YOU ALL! *Hugs everyone***


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